B968

Route

Bridge over the Dee at Aboyne

Today the B968 is a very short link in the Aberdeenshire town of Aboyne. Starting on the A93 outside the former railway station, the route follows Charlestown Road around the east of the town to the River Dee, which is then crossed on Aboyne Bridge before the route terminates on the B976.

History

When first classified in 1922 the B968 ran from Aboyne west for the best part of 20 miles via Ballater to Crathie near Balmoral. Apart from the two ends, it stuck to the south bank of the River Dee, following what is now the much extended B976. However, as early as 1930 the majority of the route had become the new A973, just leaving the current stub in Aboyne.

The original extent of the B968 to Balmoral

The 1925 Barts map on the left misleadingly marks the road as the A968, but this is surely a mistake. However, it does pose the question of whether Barts were intending to label the route as the A973. The route remained an A road into the 1970s, but has since been downgraded once more, and become part of a much extended B976.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Balmoral Castle - Ballater - Aboyne